In Shades of Gold
by fluffy-rakia
Summary: A chance meeting with a young girl changes the future for three-year-old Naruto. Life is never boring with the Kyuubi, a demoness and the Hyuuga heiress as your adopted family and the infamous Akatsuki after you. PartDemon!Naruto. PartDemon!Hinata. ItaOC
1. Not So Alone Anymore

A/N: Nothing much to say so I'll get straight to the point

**A/N: Nothing much to say so I'll get straight to the point.**

**Disclaimer for the entire story: No I don't own any Naruto characters or jutsus or anything else that belongs to Naruto's author. I do own the character I made up.**

_Flashback…_

"Regular talking"

"**Demon talking"**

'_thoughts'_

'**Demon thoughts'**

"_Telepathic talking"_

"Universal Language"

I think that's all you need to know.

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Chapter 1: Not So Alone Anymore

'_Why?! Why are they doing this?! What have I done wrong?!'_ A blonde, blue-eyed boy no older than three ran blindly through the forest, trying to escape his attackers.

Numerous deep jagged cuts and large bruises adorned the young boy's skin. Most likely the work of daggers, kunai, and a variety of clubs, their holders the villagers and shinobi who were foolish enough to attack the blonde despite the Third's decree that no one was to speak of or act upon the Kyuubi attack three years prior. Shouts and cries of triumph and cruelty were heard when they had found the blonde boy in his apartment. The bodyguard that was assigned to him for protection didn't even lift a finger—rather, the ninja helped beat the poor child.

The beating continued for hours with no one helping him and no one stopping the villagers. Until the blonde boy managed to get away via kage bunshin, a forbidden jutsu that only some jounin of Konoha knew and for a child, no a toddler, to be able to execute this jutsu successfully was a miraculous.

However, of course, like all things in life, they just weren't fair and so the blonde kept running blindly through the forest leaving the shouts that were directed at him that were filled with hate, scorn, loathing, and most of all fear. The boy's legs took him to the place where no one ever went, especially the villagers. He went into the depths of Konoha's forest, bypassing the guards and the wall in silence, and collapsed in a clearing a few kilometers away from the hidden village.

As his eyes closed, the blonde boy had only one thought on his mind. '_Finally…I'm safe…_'

The only movements that could be seen were the crimson red wisps of chakra that healed his wounds and the stare of a sympathy-filled golden gaze.

XXXXXXXX

'_Hmmmm…I feel so warm…I could stay like this forever…_' Cuddling deeper into his pillow, Naruto was prepared to fall asleep again when his pillow moved. A few seconds past when Naruto's sleepy mind finally processed the information that his pillow, a stationary object, moved, he, like all people, tensed and opened blue sapphire eyes. Those said eyes blinked a couple of times to clear away drowsiness and then looked up straight into molten gold eyes and snowy-sliver hair.

A few more blinks transpired before Naruto simultaneously yelped in surprise and jumped away from the stranger…who was a girl?! The stranger was a girl with big molten gold eyes, a small, doll-like face with a small mouth that was currently pulled into a smile. Waist length sliver-white hair cascaded down her back and a pair of purplish-magenta stripes was on each side of her face and her wrists. Her ears were pointed like an elf's and sharp claws were at the end of a small, delicate hand. The most distinguishing mark was a night-blue crescent moon in the middle of her forehead. A white fighting kimono adorned on her small, young body, red and gold flowers were scattered all over the bottom of the kimono and a pale gold waistband was tied firmly around her waist.

The stranger looked at him with mirth in her eyes, standing up she gave a small chuckle and said, "My name's Hikari. What's yours?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side in confusion and narrowed his eyes suspiciously—if he couldn't trust people in the village, how could he trust a person he had no clue about. "Who are you? Why didn't you tell the villagers where I was? Why do you want to know my name? Where did you come from? Why is-"

Hikari cut him off unexpectedly, eyes dimmed a bit and she turned slightly away from him. "Who I am doesn't concern you now. I didn't tell the villagers because it didn't seem necessary. I want to know your name because I want to know the person I helped. I can't answer where I came from. And yes before you say anything, my hair and eyes are naturally like this."

"My name is Naruto." He cautiously said, after all you can't be too careful with strangers. "So…how did you get here?"

Hikari turned back to him with a small smile. "I was here before you came. Who gave you all of those wounds? The villagers that were trying to find you?"

Naruto gave a small flinch but Hikari's sharp eyes caught it. "So I was right."

Naruto asked. "Aren't you suspicious of me? I mean a three year old talking like a ten year old?"

"Should I be? My speech and vocabulary are far above my age level as well." Hikari grinned. "Besides it is expected since you are the jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi."

"I'm a…what?" Naruto said with confusion.

"Jinchuuriki. It's the name given to those who bear the burden, in a human's case, to hold a demon in their body." Hikari's gold eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me they never told you."

Naruto stared at her in utter shock and sadness. Minutes past before Naruto was able to recover himself and utter a small phrase. "I see…that's why everyone hates me because I am the Kyuubi."

A slap echoed throughout the clearing, Naruto held his red cheek in shock and met the surprised yet furious gaze of Hikari. "Don't you ever say or even think that Naruto. You are not the Kyuubi nor will you ever be, you are Naruto and nothing anybody says is going to change that."

"Why?" Naruto asked with a shrewd gaze. "Why don't you hate me like the others?"

"Because I've experience the same pain you have……….and besides I'm a demo-"As soon as that left her mouth, Hikari gaze flew to Naruto's shocked one.

Hikari backed away shaking her head. "Just forget I ever said that; even better just forget that we ever met okay?"

"No."

"What?!" Hikari looked at Naruto startled.

Naruto shook his little blonde head. "I won't allow you to leave and I definitely won't forget."

This time it was Hikari's turn to ask why. Naruto replied. "You are the first person my age to see me without fear or disgust besides the Hokage."

Naruto continued with a smile. "You even knew that Kyuubi was sealed in me and didn't hate me for it. That automatically puts you on my precious people list."

"Precious people?" Hikari asked uncertainly.

Naruto gave a foxy grin. "I don't care if you're a demon or human or whatever. You saw me for me and now you're stuck with me as long as I live."

Hikari broke into a wide, sincere smile. "Thank you Naruto, you don't know how much this means to me! Well, actually you probably do know…"

Naruto laughed as Hikari grumbled but suddenly stopped as an idea popped in his head. "Hey Hikari…how come I didn't notice you in the clearing anyway?"

Hikari blushed. "Well…you see…I'm not your average three-year old."

Ignoring Naruto, who was rolling his eyes, Hikari continued. "I'm half-demon but my other half…my other half isn't human or demon…I can't tell you what it is yet but when I said three-year old I meant a three-year old for demons, I'm basically around thirty years old in human years."

Naruto's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "What!"

Hikari gave a small flinch and Naruto immediately started to clear things up. "No, no, no, I didn't mean it that way. I was just surprised, that's all!"

Hikari relaxed again and continued. "In those three demons years that I have been alive, I have been training since the day of my birth. I'll soon grow like a normal human until I'm about eighteen or so and then I'll stop. That's because my father was a taiyoukai, a high level demon, like Kyuubi. Taiyoukai children are aware of everything that's around them even when they're in the womb. That was the same with me, my parents…"

A grieved look appeared on her face but vanished a split second later. "My parents died the day I was born because my father and mother's enemies wanted me as a weapon. They died protecting me and the entire world."

"The entire world?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

Hikari cursed at her mistake. '_Damn it, I just met him and I'm spilling my secrets! Am I that desperate to have a friend?_'

"Well…I…I can't tell you until I know I can trust you completely. I'm sorry." Hikari said, her gold eyes a little sad. "I've been betrayed too many times by people who want my powers. I can't tell you a secret like this without knowing you won't betray me."

Naruto's face softened and reaching out he put a hand on her shoulder. "I understand. Is there any way that I can prove to you that your trust isn't misplaced?"

Hikari contemplated it for a while. "Will you let me see your memories?"

"Huh?" Apparently Naruto could only comprehend so much at three-years of age.

"Let me look into your memories. It's one of my abilities that I have complete mastery over. This way I will know if you are fooling me or not and…" Hikari added with a grin. "I'll be able to have a talk with you and Kyuubi."

Naruto was about to comply when Hikari place a short finger over his mouth. "Hear me out first; if you do comply I will be able to see everything that has happened in your life. Know all of your secrets, nothing; absolutely nothing will be hidden from me."

Naruto shot Hikari an annoyed look. "I was still going to say yes no matter what you said if that's what it takes to be your friend."

"Alright then." Hikari's molten gold eyes changed to complete gold without the pupil and locked gazes with Naruto. The effects took place immediately— both of their eyes clouded over and their bodies became utterly still.

Opening her eyes, Hikari was met by an intricate sewer system and looked around in interest.

"Hikari, get off of me please!" A muffled sound came from below her and Hikari jumped back in surprise. Naruto stood up in knee-deep water and made a disgusted look on his face. "Ewww…this is my mind?"

Hikari smirked and lean down to his height, "No, actually it's your subconscious."

Finally noticing that Hikari was a few inches taller than him, Naruto looked down to see that she was standing on the water. "Hey! Why do I have to walk in the water?"

Hikari smirk grew wider. "Because I know how to walk _on_ the water and you don't!"

Naruto pouted and then turn on his puppy dog eyes full blast. "Please! Can you teach it to me? Please!"

"Uh-uh, Naruto. Don't forget I'm a kid too! I'm immune to that stuff." Hikari grinned.

Naruto huffed in annoyance. "So can you still teach it to me?"

Adding a small please right after, Hikari gave in and proceeded to teach him how to walk on water by teaching him how to mold his chakra to walk on the walls on his subconscious first. After a couple of hours which was in fact minutes, Naruto got the hang of it.

"YATTA!! I DID IT!! I DID IT!!" Naruto exclaimed loudly jumping up and down on the water. Hikari just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Come on let's go." Hikari began walking through the halls looking at the doorways. Stopping at the one labeled 'Library', Hikari cautiously put her hand on the knob and turned it when nothing happened. Naruto followed his friend into the room reveling at the gigantic book cases in front.

"Whoa…this place is huge!" Naruto said in awe.

Hikari rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. "Of course it is, idiot, it's your mind you can make it as big or as small as you want it to be."

"Really?! That's so cool!" Naruto shouted with child-like glee.

Hikari broke into a broad smile, laughing mentally at Naruto's antics. "Well, I need to get down to business."

Naruto tilted his head, "Okay but what can I do?"

"Hmmm…I'll teach a new jutsu okay, you already know the basics right?" When Naruto nodded his head, she continued. "I'll teach you a fairly simple demonic jutsu 'kay?"

Naruto nodded furiously. Hikari showed him a slow succession of hand signs, dragon, ox, dog, tiger, and a hand sign he didn't know. Opening her mouth, Hikari said, "Katon: Demon Phoenix Flame" And blew out a black flame that resembled a phoenix in flight. Looking on wide eyed, Naruto gaped at the sheer size of the black flames.

Once Hikari finished, Naruto refrained from tackled her in sheer excitement. "That was sooooo cool!"

Hikari smiled at him and then said, "The hand seals are dragon, ox, dog, tiger, and fox. You need to concentrate an exact amount of chakra in your lungs and then blow continually through your mouth. Start on it now and I'll look into your memories."

Naruto nodded with slightly less enthusiasm then before when he remember that his friend was going to go through his memories. Hikari took note of it and filed it away for further looking into. Turning to the library, Hikari pondered for a few seconds on how to get what she wanted, after a few minutes Hikari decided to just go with trial and error, '_Okay let's start with just summoning the memories…ummm…childhood memories come?'_

When nothing happened Hikari became embarrassed but of course never showed anything on her face. '_That idea went down the drain…let's try spoken commands or something…_'

"Childhood Memories…" To Hikari's surprise almost all of the boxes flew off the shelf and in front of her. The boxes were labeled by color; touching one that was labeled yellow Hikari was immediately pulled into a memory watching it from a third person point of view. Hikari watched bemused as Naruto and an old man, the Hokage from the looks of it, gave him money for…ramen? '_A type of noodle, I guess I wonder how it tastes, probably very good if Naruto eats buckets full of that stuff._'

Hikari sweatdropped at the enormous amounts of ramen Naruto was consuming, the memory faded away a little ways after and the box that held it returned to the shelf. '_I need to figure out how to make this process faster, if I do find him trustworthy then should I tell him? No need to ask questions like that right now, back to work!_'

Gazing at the floating boxes for a second, Hikari decided to put the boxes in chronologically order and connect them temporarily afterwards to save time. Doing just that Hikari touched the first box in the line, a royal purple, signifying the memory was important but suppressed, and was plunged into the memory.

_A blonde-haired man stood on top of a giant toad, wearing an open white jacket with flames licking the bottom and the writing 'Fourth Hokage' on the back. The toad was smoking a pipe, wearing an open dark blue jacket with the character 'shrimp' on the back and a huge dagger strapped to his side. In the blonde man's arms was a baby, a baby that was crying, a strange sound in the mist of a battle. Across from the Fourth was his opponent, Kyuubi no Kitsune, the Nine-tailed Fox. The fox was in a rage destroying everything in its path, turning everything it touched into rubble._

"_Gamabunta!" Yondaime shouted. "I need you to get as close as you can to Kyuubi!"_

"_You better not die on me!" Gamabunta boomed before leaping up high into the air at Kyuubi._

_Yondaime gave no answer as he put the baby on his back rather he began make hand seals at a furious pace. After over hundred seals, a phantom appeared behind him, the Shinigami, the Death God. Shinigami reached into Yondaime's body, seals adorning the deity's arm, and appeared on the other side. Gamabunta crashed only a few meters away from the demon fox and Yondaime leaped into the air landing on the fox's head. The fox demon roared in fury and shook its head with all its might but it was too late, Shinigami's hand had already reach well into the fox's body and Yondaime no longer able to sustain Gamabunta, forced the toad back to its domain._

_A dreadful roar filled the air when Kyuubi realized what was happening. Then it was all over, the Yondaime had sealed Kyuubi in the baby therefore forfeiting his very life. The baby itself was a blue-eyed blonde and when Kyuubi was sealed Hakke no Fuuin Shiki appeared in his stomach, symbolizing that the baby was Kyuubi's jinchuuriki._

_Soon wailing of a child filled the battle scene._

'_So that's how Kyuubi was sealed…'_ Hikari mused before being flung into another memory.

_A one year old Naruto was running around in the Hokage's office chasing after a leaf that the Hokage was controlling with his chakra. Naruto giggled happily as he played all day in his office._

And then it went down hill from there.

_Naruto shoved out of a shop that sold overpriced, rotten food especially for him._

_Naruto receiving beating after beating at the hands of the villagers with no one helping him._

_The assassination attempts. _

_The cold, hateful, fearful glares shot his way where ever he went._

_The harsh whispers full of hatred._

_The cruel words._

_The betrayal._

_The pain. _

_The loneliness. _

_Left alone…_

_All alone…_

_Alone…_

Hikari gripped the place her heart was painfully and remembered what his said earlier.

"_You are the first person my age to see me without fear or disgust."_

"_Why don't you hate me like the others?"_

Naruto…he was just like her…an outcast…hated for something he had no control over…They were the same and yet he was so happy all the time. Hikari knew instinctively that some of that happy mask was fake, to not give his attackers the satisfaction of seeing him shaken up and afraid. However, most of it was real; his smile was genuine and kind. Most people would have closed off from the world or be obsessed with destroying everything in their path. Hikari knew. She had seen it before in the thirty years she had been alive.

Humans and demons alike can be hurt and in pain beyond reasoning, corrupted from greed, desire, and selfishness, mentally broken, or physically scarred. In the place where she came from, there was no such thing as peace, only war between races, between people of the same race, over petty things, like territory to satisfy their greed for power. That's the reason why she came here, to escape the wars that still racked her world, but it was better than before. When everyone was against everyone else, her world started to heal. There were good people who would continue to care. She came to escape but also to see if this world needed her help…After all…it was the least she could to carry out her mother and father's legacy.

Hikari knew that if she solidified her friendship with Naruto, he would never betray her, at least not willingly.

Slowly Hikari let go of the hold she had on the memories, '_I have a lot to think about. Maybe this world needs me after all._'

Naruto's Memory Library, or so Hikari dubbed it, slowly came back into view. It was a good thing that Hikari had lightening fast reflexes because a small black phoenix suddenly decided to launch an attack on her while she was still slightly incoherent. Jumping out of the way, Hikari glared at Naruto, who a sheepish expression on his face.

"Sorry! I lost control of the jutsu!"

"How can lose control of the aim of that jutsu?! You breathe chakra in the direction you want it to go to! There's no way you can miss, unless, you were aiming at something near me, which would be the wrong thing to do in the first place!" Hikari said in an accusing voice.

She eyed Naruto for a few seconds before sighing. "Well, I guess you really didn't know what you were doing. It's all right."

Naruto looked at her in confusion; his new friend had more mood swings than most of the women in the village. "…What?"

Hikari looked surprised before turning sheepish. "Sorry! I know my mood is a little odd. I'll explain why later. Anyway the reason I forgave you so quickly was because in here you can't lie, at least to some extent. In your point of view if you think you aren't lying then you can say it."

Naruto stared at her.

"Okay, I'll give you a demonstration. Say if you didn't know that black was that color," Hikari pointed to the black book shelves. "And you thought it was…let's say red."

"So," Hikari continued. "If I were to ask what color that was and this place would let you say 'red' because that's what you really believe. However, if you tried to say green or something it wouldn't let you because you know it a lie."

The confusion in his eyes cleared and Naruto asked, "So if I say I am not a ch-"

Hikari gestured with her hand, "See what I am talking about? No lies in this place. If you think you are a child, then you can't say you're not. However, this place doesn't detect half-truths or stretching the truths so the only thing you can't say is an outright lie."

Naruto nodded, "Okay then, good to know. That way you can't lie about who you are and what you're doing here."

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "And you are assuming that I trust you now?"

Naruto smiled faintly. "No, I know. Your facial expression, the way you're more relaxed around me now, you trust me because you've seen my pain and have experienced it yourself correct?"

Hikari stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking, "Yes, I have and now, I know that you really have too. Only those who are either pure in soul and heart and care about everyone's, stranger or not, well-being or people who have experienced isolation and pain can recognize other people who have been through similar experiences."

"I don't blame you for not trusting me. I would do it to, if our positions were switched." Naruto leaned back on the floor and patted the spot to his side, Hikari did as he asked and lay down next to him. "I never had anyone to talk to who knew how I felt. It's kinda hard isn't it? To grow up so fast? When we should be playing the day away?"

Hikari looked at the white ceiling, "Yeah, but it was necessary. We have to do what we have to do in order to survive. I should be thankful that I know so much about the world and how a person thinks and feels………….but I admit I feel jealous sometimes…"

"Of the other kids," Naruto said, "Yeah I have, too."

Naruto turned to face Hikari and saw a curious and slightly confused expression on her face, "Hey Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"How can you be so trusting?"

"…"

"…Naruto?..."

"It's how I cling to hope, I guess. I figured if I kept trying then one day maybe someone will be my friend. It hurts when you're turned down and even laughed and teased because of it. But I guess my luck paid off because I met you, funny how the way I met you was by falling unconscious after a mob beating."

Hikari turned to lie on her stomach, "Naruto, you're going to get yourself killed one of these days, you can't protect yourself like that."

Naruto grinned, "That's why you're here to protect me!"

Hikari scowled and whacked him on the head, ignoring the 'Hey!' that followed, "We still need to talk to Kyuubi, you know."

Naruto stared at the ceiling once more, curiosity lining his young voice. "How?"

Hikari rolled her eyes and said, "I don't know, it's you're mind, so you should know where to go on a subconscious level."

"But aren't we in my subconscious?"

"Yeah, and that is why you should know where to go." Hikari replied.

"Okay…" Naruto got up and followed Hikari, who had vanished through the door a second ago. Naruto walked to stand next to Hikari who was turning her head left and right at the hall ways.

Hikari looked at him expectantly, "So which way?"

Naruto said uncertainly, "…Ummm, that way?"

His finger pointed to the left, back the way they had came. Hikari grabbed Naruto's free hand and asked him which way to go every so often, memorizing the way they went. After a few minutes of walking, Hikari was lost even with her photographic memory. The hallways didn't match up; apparently the only one who could navigate without a problem was Naruto. Finally, Hikari gave up trying to navigate at all and just let Naruto lead her through the twists and turns of his mind.

'_His mind…it's extremely complicated for a child…a normal human would be decades old to gain this complexity. But it is expected— he, like I, have experienced the darker side of the world._' Hikari was brought out of her philosophic ponderings by a demonic chakra.

Naruto stopped in the middle of the hallway, turning to look at Hikari nervously. "Is that the Kyuubi?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's Kyuubi. After all, is there any other demonic chakra besides me in your mind?" Hikari replied, chuckling when Naruto face became a pink color.

"Hey!"

"Yeah, yeah…lead on, my friend, lead on." Hikari gestured with her hand, happy to dispel Naruto's nervousness.

Naruto grumbled but nevertheless lead them both to Kyuubi's cage. Sewer water was running down the massive bars that made up the gate that held the kitsune in. A piece of paper was in the middle the gate, keeping it close.

Naruto looked upon the gate a look of sadness, wonder, and curiosity etched on his face, "So…this is the famous Reaper Death Seal, the one Yondaime is famous for."

Hikari looked at him in surprise. "How do you know that, Naruto?"

Naruto gave a sad grin, "You hear a lot of things when everyone is talking about you. Particularly Anbu and jounins, who had fought with the Fourth and knew what was inside me. I guess I wasn't really that shocked when you told me that I was the jinchuuriki for Kyuubi. On some subconscious level I knew that I was, I guess I just didn't want that to be true, that my hero would seal the fox inside me."

Hikari opened her mouth to ask another question when a murderous, demonic, blood-lusting voice interrupted.

"**WHO DARES DISTURB ME?!" **The great fox roared in fury and malevolence. Hikari and Naruto's hair blew back from the force of the roar, each using chakra instantaneously to stay put.

Hikari nonchalantly continued with her question, "I am guessing you want to know why, right?"

Naruto nodded, as calm as he was before, "I'm assuming that you don't know?"

Hikari said, "Sorry, I only knew you were a jinchuuriki because I sensed the demonic chakra mixing with your normal chakra and since you were…beaten by the villagers I assume that they saw the demon that resided within you."

Nearby the chatting three-year-olds, the great demon, Kyuubi no Kitsune looked on in anger, disbelief, and surprise. **'Three-year-olds, **_**three-year-olds**_**, are ignoring me, the great Kyuubi no Kitsune, the greatest demon who ever lived!'**

Roaring with renewed fury, Kyuubi slammed his claws against the bars of the cage, smirking when they bent a little and then howling in annoyance and anger when they rebounded and smacked him in the head. All the while, the children were still chatting about their petty, little lives.

Finally, they stopped talking and turned to look at him.

Kyuubi watched them with a calculating eye. He knew his vessel was the blonde; after all it was the last thing he saw before being sealed up in this prison. However, the other person, he had no idea, and that didn't sit well with Kyuubi. **'The sliver-haired one isn't human that's for sure. To be able to access another's mind without any apparent side-effects is a great accomplishment. However I sense no power coming from her…'**

Kyuubi narrowed his eyes as another thought came to him. He couldn't smell her scent—that alone made him wary of the newcomer.

Hikari saw his unease and gave him knowing look. Turning back to Naruto, she said, "Naruto, meet Kyuubi your uninvited house guest."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow when Kyuubi roared in fury at being a "house guest". Hikari just shrugged and gestured to the bars. Sighing, Naruto walked to the spot Hikari had told him while Kyuubi was roaring away.

_Flashback…_

"_See I told you, Kyuubi's not that scary!" Hikari told Naruto when Kyuubi awoke. Naruto shot Hikari a disbelieving look mixed with a little fear._

"_Hey it's not like he can eat you or anything and besides if you die, he dies. Kyuubi is just trying to scare you into submitting to him and doing his will. I bet he is one the demon who views humans as weak and insignificant and probably vile as well." A voice said in his head. Hikari saw the shocked look on Naruto face and giggled. "Yup! That's my voice in your head! One of my mind abilities! Now do everything I tell you to do…"_

_Flashback…_

So here he was, going against all self-preservation instincts for a person who he knew less than a day! Naruto grumbled to himself and waited. He didn't have to wait very long, because soon Kyuubi had realized that his act of intimidation wasn't affecting the two as it should have. Glaring down at the small blonde, Kyuubi shot his long claws through the bars knowing that he was just out of range of stabbing the child in the chest but trying anyway.

Growling in frustration, Kyuubi roared, **"YOU DARE IGNORE ME!! I'LL RIP YOUR PUNY BODIES TO SHREDS!!"**

Naruto, to his credit, didn't even flinch at the amount of demon energy coming out of the gate. Hikari, who had at this time remained leaning against the wall just watching their interaction, came over to stop at Naruto's side.

Staring Kyuubi straight in the eye, Hikari spoke in a bored tone, "We have a proposition for you."

Kyuubi chuckled darkly, **"Foolish mortal, how do you know I will not kill you the moment you turn your backs."**

Hikari eyed him again, "I know, because I, too, am immortal and I know you wish to be in contact with the outside world, do you not? Do you not wish to smell the trees, the freshness of the air after a rainfall? Hear the soft sounds of the underbrush? See the beauty of the world? Feel the solid ground beneath you? Do you not wish for these things? Do not deny it. I know you do. I can feel it, even though you have only been cooped up in here for three years, you hate it more than anything."

"**How would you know my feelings when everyone else could not? What do you mean when you say you are immortal? I feel no power coming from you and no scent either. How do I know you are not just a figment of this boy's imagination?"** Kyuubi shot back, irritated that a three-year-old could read him so easily.

"Your questions will be answered later." Hikari said firmly. "Naruto?"

Naruto sweated slightly in nervousness and Kyuubi grinned, well, tried to anyway (it looked more like a snarl than a smile). Taking a deep breath, Naruto drew on Hikari's presence to calm himself down. "As Hikari said, we have a proposition for you, the deal is this, I will let you see what I see, hear what I hear, and feel what I feel, if you agree to help whenever I need it."

Taking another breath, Naruto continued, "However that's not all, in due time when Hikari and I feel that you are trustworthy enough, we will find a way to give you, your own body again."

Kyuubi's eyes widened the slightest fraction of a millimeter but both Naruto and Hikari saw it. Smirking Hikari added, "You will need to be genuinely trustworthy though. If we find even a hint of doubt or betrayal then the deal is off."

Naruto nodded. "Also this will give us time for you to train us."

Kyuubi looked at him and Naruto shrugged and pointed to Hikari, "She told me that knowledge is knowledge no matter who has it."

"Hey! It's true! And besides, how are you going to survive if you can't protect yourself! I can't train as of yet and Kyuubi has a hell of a lot more experience than I do!" Hikari pouted at Naruto, who rolled his eyes.

Kyuubi smirked, **"It's good to know that I'm not completely surrounded by idiots."**

Naruto said 'hey' but Hikari just stared, "Was that a joke I just heard?"

Kyuubi glared, **"I am not explaining myself to the likes of you!"**

"Oh please, drop of high and mighty act!" Hikari snapped.

Naruto narrowed his eye at Kyuubi when he heard this. "You have a mask."

"**Don't be an incompetent, stupid fool! The Great Kyuubi never wears a mask!"**

Naruto shook his head, "You're wrong, you have a mask just like I do, just like Hikari does. We all wear masks. How do you think that Hikari and I spotted it so easily?"

Kyuubi kept silent.

"You hide behind a mask of intimidation, of anger, and rage. You make people afraid of you so they won't come near. So they won't figure out how much you're hurting." Naruto said softly, even gently.

"**Bullshit!! How would an insignificant **_**human**_** know what I feel like!! How would you know!? How would they understand anything! Humans are despicable; they kill anything that is in their way!! Even helpless infants are mercilessly killed! Humans don't care about anything except their own power!" **Kyuubi snarled hatefully, directing his anger into visual chakra that swirled widely and uncontrolled.

However Naruto wasn't fazed, "See? You're proving my theory correct right now. You don't want to face the truth. Some great demon you are."

That was the last straw; Kyuubi lost the little self-control he had managed to retain. He roared in fury and attacked the bars of the seal furiously but to no avail.

Hikari's irritated look faded into a sympathy-filled expression, "So that's what happened."

Realization dawned in Naruto's eyes; he stared at the great demon now immersed in his own tragic memories.

Naruto saw pain in Kyuubi's eye carefully hidden beneath anger and rage, but something was off. Naruto thought and thought but the answer evaded him and his teenage-but-suppose-to-be-three-year-old mind.

Naruto glanced at his side, Hikari was wearing contemplating expression on her face. He gazed at her curiously, wondering what her demon enhanced mind could think of that he could not. Finally in a hushed voice, Hikari broke Kyuubi out of his reminiscence.

"Something's missing from the picture…" Kyuubi glared at the small sliver-white haired child.

Snarling Kyuubi growled out, **"Now that you have taken what you've wanted from me, leave!"**

Naruto mentally winced at the amount of killing intent leaking out of Kyuubi and was, for once, grateful of the numerous hated glares sent his way. Hikari raised an eyebrow and gave a slight inclination of her head before turning to Naruto and saying, "I'll be going out of your mind Naruto, but I want you to stay here."

"Why?" Naruto asked, his burrow furrowing on his forehead in confusion. "Do I still need to do something?"

Hikari smiled at him, "Of course! I need your consent to change the seal. Without that, I wouldn't be able to do anything."

Naruto nodded, "So…what do I have to do?"

"Just say 'I, Naruto Uzumaki, concede to change the seal to the terms discussed with Kyuubi.'. See you on the outside!" Hikari said before she vanished.

Naruto sighed, '_Today has been a reeeeeaaaalllllyy strange. First, I met a girl who isn't even human, then I found out I'm a jinchuuriki, which is why the villagers hate me so much, and now we are making a deal with the demon that is residing in my body. I don't think today can get any stranger._'

Looking back at the Yondaime's seal, Naruto felt a rush of anger. '_Why did he have to pick __**me**__ of all people?! What did I do to deserve this?_'

A pale gold light began to shine around the Death Reaper Seal. Naruto quickly repeated the words Hikari told him to and watched in fascination as the gold light attached on the seal and altered the markings, changing them to incorporate the new orders. Soon after, Naruto found himself pulled out of his mind and back in reality.

Hikari pointed to his stomach and Naruto pulled up his shirt, surprised to find markings there just like the ones on the gate containing Kyuubi.

"Every person who is a demon container has a seal, maybe not like yours but they still have it. You will know who they are by their demon energy just like I will." Hikari explained.

Naruto nodded and Hikari helped him get up from his sitting position. They stayed silent for awhile thinking over the day's events when…

"HOLY SHIT!" Naruto shouted slapping his hand against his forehead and then against his mouth.

Hikari chuckled, "I already know all about swears and worse things in this world."

"I totally forgot the old man!"

Invisible questions marks appeared above Hikari's head but Naruto seemed to understand.

"You know, the Hokage!" Naruto said quickly. "Come on! Oh he's soooo going to kill me!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wait! Naruto! Wait!" Hikari cried out in exasperation as Naruto yet again ignored her. Resorting to desperate measures, Hikari slammed the backside of her hand against Naruto's head.

Naruto fell face-forward onto the ground. "Owww…"

"What did you do that for!?" Naruto yelled, rubbing the back of his head.

Hikari glared down at Naruto. "Have you forgotten, Naruto? Won't the Hokage be suspicious of me? Just appearing?"

"Oh yeah…no worries!" Naruto said, grabbing her hand. "I'm sure the Hokage will understand once I explain!"

"What?! Wait, Naruto!" Hikari exclaimed quickly. "I can't go into the village like this!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto glanced at Hikari and blushing a bit, he said. "You look fine!"

Hikari sighed, "I'm not talking about that, Naruto. My hair? Eyes? Markings? Clothes?"

Naruto looked again. "I see what you mean. You don't look anything like any of the other kids from the village."

"So before we go anywhere, I need a disguise." Hikari said.

Naruto scrunched up his face, thinking. "But it needs to be a disguise that can fool Byakugan and Sharingan wielders."

"Byakugan? Sharingan?" Hikari tilted her head in confusion.

"They're the two great eye techniques from the Hidden Leaf passed down by blood." Naruto replied. "The Byakugan or White Eye enables its wielder to actually see chakra so a chakra illusion won't work and Sharingan aka the Copy Eye will just see through the illusion."

Hikari smirked and winked at him, "Don't worry, Naruto, I have much more abilities up my sleeve!"

Naruto watched in silent awe as Hikari changed right before his eyes. Her beautiful slivery white locks turned midnight blue-black and her molten gold eyes began to darken into chocolate brown. Even the contours of her face and energy changed to match that of an average human being. When the change was complete, Hikari looked very plain and ordinary.

"Don't worry about Sharingan or the Byakugan seeing through my disguise because I literally changed my DNA structure to look like this. Of course, I'm still a part demon but for now I have locked up my demon energy." Hikari said, erasing Naruto's doubts of her disguise. "It's a perfect opportunity to use my other chakra anyway."

"Other chakra?" Naruto asked.

Hikari shook her head. "All I can tell you right now, is that this chakra feels like human chakra but it's far more potent, so it's perfect for me to use."

Naruto nodded, "Well let's go then."

Grabbing Hikari's hand, Naruto pulled her along and toward the Hokage tower, receiving more astonished, angry, and hateful looks along the way. Hikari looked at all of the hate and fear the villagers directed at Naruto and her and mentally cringed in disgust.

"Hey, what are you doing with the demon brat?"

Both Naruto and Hikari heads whipped around at the voice of a middle aged man, average looking and slightly overweight.

The man spoke again, glaring hatefully at Naruto but speaking to Hikari. "What did the demon brat do to make you go with him? Did he threaten to kill your family?"

The man continued, hatred dripping from every word, oblivious to the killing intent leaking out of Hikari. "You shouldn't be seen with a monster like him! He's just the demon in disguise and he killed hundreds of people! My younger sister would've been married and with child by now, if that disgusting monster hadn't kill her fiancé!"

"I don't even know why the Hokage would even let him li-" The man's words died in his throat when he finally sensed the suffocating killer intent directed at him.

Hikari pupils had narrowed into slits by this point and snarling at the man, she spoke with anger and disgust, "Shut up, you brainless pig! You villagers are so narrow-minded that you would never accept the truth! Even if it was shoved up your ass until it came out of your firkin' mouth!"

Jaws hit the floor as both the man and Naruto stared at her, one in awe for the second time, and the other in surprise and shock.

The man grunted and snarled at Hikari. "Fine! See if anybody cares when he kills you!"

Hikari growled low in her throat, an offensive, threatening growl. "God help you, if I ever see you again, I'll make sure you'll never have the pleasure of seeing daylight ever again."

The man backed away and high-tailed it out of Hikari's vicinity with speed he didn't know he had.

The growl Hikari was emitting faded until it was no more and turning around, she glared mercilessly at the other villagers, who had witnessed the event. They all turned away from them both so quickly that Hikari heard heads snap from the speed.

"That should show those good-for-nothing worms." Hikari muttered.

Naruto picked his jaw up from the ground and smiled shyly at Hikari, "Thanks…for…you know."

"No problem, I hate people like those, anyway." Hikari grinned and in turn Naruto gave her a huge smile, not one of the fake grins he gave to other people but a true heartfelt smile.

Hikari saw tears gathering at the corners of Naruto's eyes and tugged at his hand, "Come on, don't we have somewhere to be?"

Naruto blinked away the tears and happily began leading Hikari again, oblivious to one happy-filled stare both were getting. Hikari turned her head and spotted a small girl their age, looking shyly at both of them and when she saw Hikari look at her, the blush that adorned the girl's face deepened. Before Hikari could do anything, the girl turned and ran away, leaving Hikari to wonder why a Hyuuga was watching them.


	2. Impossible

**A/N: I'll just give you the dialogue box. Enjoy!**

_Flashback…_

"Regular talking"

"**Demon talking"**

'_thoughts'_

'**Demon thoughts'**

"_Telepathic talking"_

"Universal Language"

Chapter 2: Impossible

A few minutes later, they were almost at the Hokage tower, Hikari decided to speak up. "Hey, Naruto…do you know any Hyuugas?"

"Hmmm…yeah, there is this weird girl in my class that looks at me oddly. Why?" Naruto replied.

Hikari slapped the back of Naruto's head.

"Hey! Wait was that for?" Naruto cried indignantly, rubbing his head.

Hikari said scolding, "That wasn't very nice, Naruto, I just saw that girl and she seems to be one of the few people that like you. You should be more grateful."

"Yeah, I guess. But she's never talked to me before." Naruto said, remembering all the times he had watched the odd girl watch him out of the corner of his eye.

Hikari asked, "So do you even know the girl's name?"

Naruto thought for a while and then shrugged, "Nope."

Hikari fell in annoyance and then shouted at him, "She's been following you for how long and you don't even know her name!"

"Well, maybe if I wasn't trying to keep myself alive, I would've had time to socialize!" Naruto yelled right back.

Hikari sighed, "Naruto, you want to be a ninja right?"

Naruto blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Yeah, of course."

"Well, how do you expect to gain information when you're on a life or death mission with other people's lives to consider when you can't overhear a name in a place that is illegal for people to kill you?" Hikari said pointedly.

Naruto opened his mouth to retaliate but then thought better of it. "I guess I could've paid more attention to my classmates."

Hikari nodded, "If you want to be a ninja, you have to think like one. Always look for possible allies and friends."

Naruto stored the information into his memory. With the crappy education he was receiving at the Academy, it's was a wonder that he knew anything about ninjas at all.

Hikari glanced to the left and Naruto followed her gaze discreetly, landing on the small, shy girl from before. "Hey, Kari that's the Hyuuga girl that's been watching me."

If Hikari felt any surprise at being given a nickname it didn't show on the outside. "So, what are you waiting for? Introduce me to her, Naru."

"Naru?" Naruto said surprise.

"If you can chop off the first two letters of my name, then I can chop off the last two of yours." Hikari said, grinning.

"But it sounds like a girl's name!" Naruto complained.

"Suck it up, I could do worse and call you, Ruru." Hikari said, stifling a giggle when Naruto's face turned five shades whiter. "Now are you going to introduce me or not?"

"But the – ", Naruto began to say.

Hikari put a finger to Naruto's lips. "No buts, the Hokage can wait. And besides look at the girl's wrist."

Naruto looked and gasped quietly when he saw the red, purple bruise beginning to form. Clutching his fist, Naruto whispered angrily. "Somebody hurt her."

Hikari nodded, "And I want to find out who."

Before Naruto could say anything, Hikari started to walk over to the Hyuuga.

"Hello, my name is Hikari what's yours?" Hikari said, gently trying to appear as harmless as possible to the blushing, stuttering girl.

"Uh-uh, I-I m-me-mean, m-my-my n-name is H-Hin-Hinata," Hinata said, blushing heavily the entire time.

'_What happened to make this girl stutter so much?_' Hikari sent a message to Naruto. "_Hey Naruto, do you see how Hinata is stuttering like that? Just think your response and I'll hear it._"

Naruto expression held surprise when he heard Hikari's voice in his head, but did what she said to do. "_Yeah, I do, it doesn't seem like she has much confidence in herself._"

"_You're right about that._" Then Hikari spoke out loud. "So Hinata, do you know Naruto?"

Hinata nodded shyly, unable to speak in front of her idol.

"Naruto tells me, you're in his class, is that true?" Hikari asked and once again Hinata nodded her head.

Hinata looked Hinata up and down and decided something, "Hinata, you're joining up with us."

Naruto looked surprised, "What?!"

Hikari just looked over at the completely shocked Hyuuga. "I like her and you. She likes you. You like me. And I'm sure that once we get to know each other better, we'll be great friends."

"So what do you say, Hinata?" Naruto said, finally warming up to the idea. "Do you want to be friends with us?"

Hinata could only nodded and followed Naruto and Hikari in a complete daze, so surprised that not only had her idol noticed her, but another girl had as well. Hinata walked forward not paying attention to where she was going to preoccupied with staring at her new-found friends.

She was so busy looking at them that she didn't know that they had stopped. "Huh?"

Looking up, Hinata saw the looming Hokage building tower before her. Even though she passed by it everyday to go to the Ninja Academy, she was in awe every time. The worn wood of the tower plus the slightly faded painting added to its obvious age and presence. Her father told her that it was used by all the former Hokages as both an office and a safe for all the important documents, however the location of that 'safe' was only known to the Hokage and those he selected.

"Why are we at the Hokage tower?" Hinata asked softly.

Hikari turned and shot a grin at Hinata, making her blush again. "Naruto needs to see the old man and tell him that he's alive."

"You mean the Hokage?" Hinata asked, surprised at the familiarity Hikari called the Hokage.

"Yeah," Naruto replied from the top of the stairs. "Now hurry up!"

Hikari and Hinata blinked in surprise, since when did Naruto get up there. Hikari shrugged and grabbed Hinata's hand tugging her up the stairs. The both followed Naruto, who looked right at home, down the hall looking curiously all around them. Soon they were at the door leading into the office of the Hokage. Hikari watched in defeat and Hinata in shock when Naruto barged into the office, screaming.

"HEY, OLD MAN!!!"

Hikari followed in emotionlessly while Hinata was blushing controllably and stuttering. The Hokage was an old man, clearly getting on the years, but his eyes were full of wisdom and kindness. Those said eyes widen in surprise when Naruto barged in, and widened further when he saw two other children following him.

"Hey, old man, how are ya doing?" Naruto said, flashing him a broad grin and giving him a thumbs-up.

The Hokage's eyebrow twitched violently at Naruto's carefree grin. "NARUTO!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!!?!?!?!?!"

Hikari winced at the volume of the old man's shout against her sensitive ears. "Geez, no need to scream."

Hokage turned toward the little black-haired girl, there was something strange about this girl.

"Naruto was with me, there was no need to worry." Hikari replied in a smooth, silky voice.

The Hokage's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do you mean?"

"She healed me after the villagers decided to have a free-for-all kill-the-demon spree." Naruto spoke up, his voice hard.

Hinata looked in amazement at Naruto, she had never seen this side of him before. He acted so cold and his eyes were hard, like diamonds. It was frightening.

Naruto looked at Hinata and his eyes thawed a bit. "Sorry, if I'm scaring you, Hinata. But if I acted like this toward everyone, the villagers would increase their torment of me in fear that I would grow hostile and attack."

Hinata nodded, but opened her mouth to ask a question. "What does 'hostile' and 'torment' mean?"

"Hostile means to be unfriendly or opposed to someone or something and torment means extreme pain or anguish or a source of this." Hikari said, "And before you ask, anguish means extreme pain or distress of mind."

"Distress of mind?" Hinata said confused.

Hikari waved her hand, "You'll understand it when you're older."

"Okay," Hinata said still confused but finally not blushing to the extent she was earlier.

Hokage looked carefully at how the three interacted and his eyes lost their suspicion. "So tell me, Naruto, who are your new friends?"

"I'm Hikari," Hikari said respectfully, "It is an honor to meet the leader of this village. As I've heard, you are powerful for…"

Hikari stopped and looked at Naruto and then glanced both at Hinata and the Hokage.

Naruto nodded his eyes normal again. "You can trust both of them."

Hikari took a deep breath, "Don't be alarmed but I need to do something before I can tell you what I am."

At this the Hokage along with Hinata became even more interested in what Hikari had to say.

Hikari performed several seals, too quick for Hinata and Naruto to catch, but the Hokage caught the seals and he didn't recognize any of them to his immense surprise.

Whispering the words under her breath, Hikari said, "Darkness Style: Silence of the Shadows."

Blackness spread from Hikari and covered the entire room and then faded back to normal. Hikari turned to look at Hinata and Naruto, who were looking at her in confusion. "I put up a jutsu that blocks anyone who is not inside of the room unable to hear or see anyone that is inside."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and Hikari sighed, "Basically no one outside will be able to hear what I'm saying right now."

"Then why didn't you just say so? Save the trouble of using a long explanation." Naruto said, grinning.

Hikari rolled her eyes, much to Sarutobi's amusement.

"What were the hand seals that you used?" The Hokage inquired.

Hikari gave him a smirk, something that oddly fitted her face. "I used demonic seals, Hokage. No human would be able to use those seals."

The Hokage's eyes widen, "Wait, if no human would be able to use those seals, then…"

Hikari smirked at the wide-eyed stares of both Hinata and the Hokage. "Yes, as I told Naruto before in my blood runs the blood of demons. Actually, I'm quite proud to say that I don't have a drop of human blood in my body."

This new information was too much for Hinata to take; she dropped into a dead faint in the Hokage's office.

The Hokage's jaw dropped to the floor, his pipe clattered to the ground in stunned disbelief.

"W-What?" The Hokage choked out.

Hikari sighed, "I repeat, I'm not human. But I'm not fully demon either, at least not now."

"What do you mean by not now?" The Hokage asked, cautious.

Hikari kept a sigh from escaping her, she really didn't want to spill all her abilities so soon, but it was necessary to make the Hokage trust her. "I have the ability to completely change into full-blood demon, any kind I want to, as long as I have its DNA in my own."

Naruto clutched his head, "Hikari stop making things so confusing!"

"Naruto," Hikari said, annoyed. "I didn't know you were that slow."

"Hey, I'm three years old!" Naruto replied.

Hikari said, slowly and clearly for Naruto's convenience, "I have some fox demon blood running through my veins, but I'm not completely a fox demon. Understand so far?"

Naruto nodded and the Hokage listened with rapt attention, also thinking about how Naruto attracted the most unique and unusual friends.

Hikari continued, "Now I have the ability, if I wanted to, to easily change into a full-blooded fox demon. It's the same with the other types of demonic blood that I was born with."

"Oh, I get it now!" Naruto exclaimed.

'_About time too, I don't think I could have explained it in a simpler level_.' Hikari thought.

"So you mean to tell me that you're not a full demon of one type, but of many types?" The Hokage asked.

Hikari shook her head, "I am a little over half demon. It's….very complicated."

The Hokage accepted that and Hikari was a little surprised.

"You aren't like most humans." Hikari said, gazing hard at the old man.

The Hokage smiled and said, "How so?"

"Like what you just did for example," Hikari said, "Most humans, because they are fearful of what they don't understand, would've either attacked or run away in fear. Believe me, it's hard being a demon in a world full of humans."

Hikari's eyes saddened, making her molten gold orbs, turn into a duller gold.

A hand land gently on her shoulder and made Hikari's head snap up to look into the eyes of the Hokage. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like."

Her eyes widening, Hikari felt warmth in her chest and knew it was hope, but was it was too late to squash it down. Giving him one of her broadest, brightest smiles, Hikari said happily, "Thanks, I think I will stay awhile."

X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

Hinata panted heavily, totally exhausted.

"Come on, Hinata! At this rate, you and Naruto won't be ready for the ritual!" Hikari shouted.

"Come on!" Naruto gasped for air. "We've been......training……for….forever!!!"

Hikari shook her finger. "Actually, we've only been training for four days! You can't be tired yet!"

Hinata glared at Hikari. "Only four days! You……mean four days straight, day and night!"

Hinta had grown not only physically, but mentally; she was no longer the weak, scared little girl from three weeks before. It was all thanks to Hikari and Naruto, who refused to let her not come out of her shell. Of course, both Naruto and Hikari had her swear to hide the new self-confidence that came into her personality. They didn't want anyone to know about their secret training sessions and she didn't either.

Hinata knew that if her father ever found out that she was trying to teach outsiders the Gentle Fist; she would be banned from the clan. Even worse, if he found out that she had become friends with them and viewed them as siblings, she would be banned from seeing them ever again.

When Hikari told her what had transpired in the time she had faint, Hinata to her embarrassment, fainted again. In time, she had accepted what Hikari was and what Naruto contained. In fact, now they were closer to her then anyone had ever been. Hinata loved Hikari and Naruto more than anything, but currently, she wasn't too happy with Hikari.

Hinata struggled to stand on her tired muscles. "Come on! Just a little break, we can't all be special like you."

Hikari sighed, "Fine, a fifteen minute break. I have to tell you guys some things about the ritual anyway."

Both Naruto and Hinata collapsed in relief; the Hokage had told Hiashi that Hinata was to go on a small training mission with a chuunin-level ninja, which was true. Even though Hikari was the same age as Hinata and Naruto and even though her demonic abilities or her other more flamboyant but equally powerful abilities couldn't be used in the village, Hikari's power still ranked at chuunin-level.

With her demon chakra locked up tight and her other abilities restrained, Hikari could only use chakra she made mastered a day before and her natural speed, strength, and intelligence to defeat them.

Hinata, Naruto, and Hokage later found out that Hikari's other chakra was the energy of a deity. Naturally, when they found out, all of them, including the Hokage passed out completely for several days time. When they awoke, Hikari told them that she had put a jutsu on the room that speed up time so on the outside only an hour had passed.

Soon after that, Hikari sealed her other chakra away from use as well, saying that if she did, the chakra that would be left would the regular chakra that humans used. Hikari, herself, adapt to the situation rather quickly and in only a week, her mastery of chakra control even surpassed the Hyuuga clan.

"The ritual, the blood-bonding ritual, which will make us blood related siblings, requires complete trust and no doubts from either party." Hikari said softly, "If there are any doubts at all, the ritual will fail and everyone will die."

Naruto nodded, followed closely by Hinata, who said, "We know that."

"We have already told each other all of our secrets, right?" Naruto said, looking at Hinata and Hikari faces.

Both of them nodded determinedly and Naruto lifted himself to sitting position. Hikari picked up where Naruto left off, "Do you guys have any doubts? Any at all?"

Hianta spoke softly, "No, I might've faint a couple of times, but I don't hold any fear at all. You've helped me more than you guys can ever know."

"Same for me," Naruto said, "I can't tell you how happy I am to just have people who believe in me."

Hikari smiled, "And you guys already know how I feel. You two are like the brother and sister I never had."

"So…" Naruto said, hesitantly.

Hikari cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah…"

Naruto all of a sudden jumped up and said, "I can't take it anymore! When can the ritual take place! You keep saying 'soon' and 'later', but when is that?!"

Hikari sighed, knowing this was going to happen sooner or later. "Well, the only way, the ritual will work is if each of us has demonic blood and are at the very _least_ half-demon."

Naruto and Hinata blinked.

"You never said that before!" Naruto cried out.

"Then how can the ritual even work!" Hinata exclaimed angrily.

They both said at the same time, "We both aren't demons!"

Hikari put her hands in front of her, in a calming gesture. "That's why I say later. I need to wait until Naruto is completely fused with Kyuubi."

"Fused!?" Naruto shrieked, very uncharacteristically.

"Well…" Hikari started. "You see…when I changed the seal, the amount of chakra coming from Kyuubi increased and started to fuse with your own chakra, in a few months. You will be a full-blood fox-demon; however, Kyuubi will still be his own being, so the deal will still be complete."

"What about me?" Hinata stated rather than asked.

Hikari smirked, "You really don't think that your bloodline trait came from humans, did you?"

Hinata gaped, "Wait…so that means…I'm already a demon!"

"No," Hikari replied. "The Byakugan is just the strongest trait of the demon blood, so that's why it shows up. However, your real demonic blood hasn't awoken yet, but with this intense training I'm putting you through, it will and then after the ritual you will be…I think at least, three-fourths demon, if not fully demon."

Hikari further explained, "This ritual not only binds us together by blood, but by mind as well. We will be able to communicate telepathically among the three of us and feel each other's strongest emotions. The ritual also only takes the strongest of demon blood and shares it among the participants. So Hinata and I will be part fox demon after the ritual, and vise versa with all of us."

Hinata crinkled her forehead, looking very adorable and very much her three-year-old age. "The ritual sounds very complicated. You're sure you know how to do it?"

"Of course! I wouldn't put you two through unnecessary danger!" Hikari said, indignant.

Hinata just smiled and Naruto snickered. Hikari huffed at the unseen joke, but then followed in with the laughter. Soon all three were playing happily together to the common passerby, but faint hints of chakra could be detected at the bottom of the children's feet.

X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

Hokage gazed at each of the children's faces, one by one, all of them determined and unwavering. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as we'll ever be," Hinata replied.

Naruto grinned, "You wouldn't have doubts, old man if you saw the training Hikari put us through. Man, I still have the bruises to prove it."

The Hokage raised an eyebrow at Hikari and the said four-year-old shrugged, "I trained just as hard as they did."

"But in just a little over eight months," The Hokage shook his head, "You three are just barely over four and Hikari just turned four."

Even though Hikari was a demon and counted years differently, the rate at which her body was growing was similar to regular humans so she counted in human years.

"So…is that a problem?" Naruto said, smirking.

The Hokage restrained an opened-mouth gape. "But to apply for Anbu Status…I'm not sure I have the authority to give you the test."

Hikari smirked, "So give us a preliminary test. Have us fight against jounin or chuunin. If we can defeat them then you give us the opportunity."

"Are you sure?" The Hokage asked again.

"For the millionth time, yes!" Naruto said, exploding, but then stiffen when he felt a deathly glare on his back.

Hikari glared at Naruto's back, her voice deadly calm. "Naruto…what have we talked about losing your temper like that?"

"Ummm…" Naruto said, nervously. "Not too?"

"And what have we talked about keeping your emotions under control?" Hikari said, a bit gentler.

"To always keep your cool and analyze the situation." Naruto said, sounding dejected.

"Good," Hikari said, "Always remember that, if you let your emotions get the better of you, you make careless and stupid mistakes, allowing your opponent opportunities to kill you and that is not acceptable."

"Yes, mother!" Naruto said sarcastically and was banged on his head by Hinata for his efforts. "Hey!"

"You know Hikari is just trying to protect you." Hinata said softly.

"Yeah, I know." Naruto replied, grinning. "But I can't help it!"

Hikari rolled her eyes, not offended in the least. The Hokage chuckled at the three antics, seemingly so much like other children their age. "If you do pass, you will no longer be able to play and be ignorant like other children."

Hinata smirked, "Who said we were like other children?"

"Yes," Sarutobi spoke, "You all are much more mature than even some adults in this village and you have probably been through much more than they have, but gaining Anbu Status will not be easy. You have to gain the approval of at least five Anbu and also take the exam."

Naruto smirked, "Bring it on!"

"So be it," The Hokage said, "Wait an hour and I'll will assemble the ninja that are to be your opponents."

Upon his words, Hikari sat down and took a meditative stance, closing her eyes, her body relaxed. Naruto and Hinata sat down also and did the same as Hikari, their bodies relax and their breathing slowed, like they were asleep.

The Hokage knew better and by the slight twitch of their muscles, he knew that they were using the jutsu they told him about in training. Smiling, the Hokage exited and proceeded to gather the jounin he needed.

An hour passed and the Hokage reentered finding the children ready, standing, and to his surprise masks on their faces. Not questioning where they got the masks, the Hokage said, "Come with me."

Naruto, Hikari, and Hinata followed the Hokage silently and ignored the glares given by some the jounins in the tower. Soon, several levels and a walk away from the Hokage tower, the threesome found themselves at a large clearing nearby a large pond with three ninja waiting for them.

Behind her angel mask, Hikari raised an eyebrow, "Lord Hokage, are those who I think they are?"

"Yes, they are." Sarutobi said his surprise showing at the older voice that came out of the mask. '_These kids, they must want to protect their aliases to the village badly, to wear masks, change their voices, and change their appearances._'

Naruto, wearing a dragon mask, said, amusement entering his altered voice. "So you've brought _them_ to test us?"

"Isn't that bit overkill for a pretest?" Hinata added her changed voice a bit muffled behind the dove bearing mask.

Hikari walked over to the edge of the clearing and she could clearly see the immense surprise in each of the jounin's eyes. "It is an honor, to meet three of the most powerful ninja in the Hidden Leaf."

"When the Hokage said, 'There are special ninja applying for Anbu status.' I didn't think he meant puny brats." A sliver-hair seventeen-year-old jounin with a mask over his face said.

A vein twitch in Hikari's head, no one called her friends brats and got away with it. The voice which came out of the angelic mask was incredibly cold and smooth, even chilling Kakashi to a certain extent. "I wouldn't base power on size and age, Kakashi. You of all people should know."

The Hokage stood next to the angel masked, dragon masked, and dove-masked kids and said to the three jounin, "You would do well not to underestimate these three, they may be young, but given the chance, they could very well defeat all of you."

"Hn." The person who spoke was a handsome ten-year-old black-haired boy, obviously an Uchiha. Two lines came down from the corner of his eyes, making him look older than he actually was and judging from the power coming off of him, he was at least jounin level.

"Uchiha Itachi, the dubbed prodigy of the Uchiha clan." Hikari said in the same smooth, cold voice. "I hear that the Uchiha expect great things from you."

Naruto snickered, "They don't look so tough!"

"Hey, you annoying brats better shut the hell up!" A fourteen-year-old girl said, smiling sadistically.

"Anko." The Hokage stated.

"What?! They're the ones, who insulted me, first." Anko exclaimed.

"Hato." Hikari said to Hinata. "Description, please. Just the common knowledge."

Hinata, whose cover up name was Hato, replied. "Miturashi Anko. Chuunin bordering on Jounin-level ninja, she specializes in snake summoning as well as weapons. She has a sadistic nature and apparently loves to terrorize people who she thinks are weaker than she. The classic bully."

Anko clenched her fists, how dare that impudent, stupid, little, good-for-nothing brat talk about her like that, that brat has no idea what she went through. "You - "

Hinata ignored her, continuing her orders. "Hatake Kakashi. Jounin-level ninja, entered the Academy at age 5 and became chuunin a year later. In the Third Great Shinobi War, he acquired the Sharingan and soon became known as Copy Ninja Kakashi. His father was Hatake Sakumo, also known as the White Fang. Uchiha Itachi, like Hatake, passed with one year at the Academy. Recently took the Chuunin exams and passed. Uchiha is known as the prodigy of the Uchiha clan, awaking his Sharingan at age seven and then mastering it at age eight."

"Well done," The angel masked child said, clearly that kid was the leader. "Even though, you could've left out the 'classic bully' part."

Hato sniffed and refused to say anything, still offended by the brat comment made by the other two ninja.

"Anyway…can we fight now!" The dragon masked kid said.

"Ryu, if you don't calm down, I'll consider tying you a post and leaving you to go without food for three days." The angel masked said, calmly even though amusement was clearly in her voice.

Ryu huffed, "Well, all we've been doing is talking. I'm itching to test out my abilities, Tenshi."

'_Angel? Dragon? Dove? Fitting._' The Hokage thought. "Fine then. If you want to battle so much then we will begin."

Anko cracked her knuckles, not caring that her opponents were less than half her size. "I'm going to make sure to teach you three brats a lesson."

Hinata took the Gentle Fist stance and activated her Byakugan.

Kakashi looked surprise. "A Hyuuga?"

Naruto and Hikari took a similar stance, except both their arms were up, the left arm extending outward, while the right arms was close to their chests for protection.

By this time, Itachi had already activated his Sharingan, he ignored the Gentle Fist, since it was impossible for him to copy, but kept an eye out. However, the stance that the other two took puzzled him; their fingers were fully out and separated, unlike any other taijutsu stance he had seen before.

With incredible speed, Hinata began the fight, leaping at Anko aiming for her chakra points. Her arms, even though they were shorter than Anko's moved with blurring speed and before Anko could even move, fifty-six of the sixty-four major chakra points had been closed. Throwing a punch, at Hinata, Anko forced Hato to distance himself, but not before closing two more chakra points.

As soon as Hinata had moved, Naruto had joined the fray, going for Kakashi. Kakashi read his moves and blocked the kick that went his way, only for Naruto to twist his body around and jab a pressure point in Kakashi arm. Numbness at once spread throughout Kakashi's arm and it hung limply at his side, Kakashi growled in frustration, how a little punk, barely up to his waist, could be so fast eluded him.

Hikari hung back and judged the damage Hinata and Naruto gave their opponents. "_Nice work, all of that speed training paid off, it's a good thing you guys took off your weights beforehand._"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "_It was but, I have a feeling that we are in for a tough fight. Anko, we can safely dismiss, her chakra points are almost all closed, but Hatake and Uchiha we have to be on our guard. They have the most experience and now that I've shown Hatake the damage I can inflict, he won't drop his guard again._"

"_I will take care of Anko and then we can both take Kakashi, Naru._" Hinata replied, in advancing on Anko and forcing her to pull back. "_If I just had an opening!_"

Hikari smirked, "_If it's an opening you want then it's an opening you'll get!_"

Rapidly doing hand seals, seals which Itachi instantly saw, but to his amazement couldn't copy. Hikari opened her mouth and said, "Fire Release: Flaming Gust!"

A huge stream of fire erupted out of Hikari's mouth, headed straight for Anko. Itachi quickly performed several seals of his own and mouthed, "Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"

Several bullets of water shot out of the nearby pond aimed directly at Hikari. Without missing a beat, Hikari dodged all of them and continued the blast.

Hinata smirked when she saw the flame coming and kept up her non-stop attack, forcing Anko right in the fire's pathway. Anko, who was busy dodging Hinata's attacks and trying to insert a few of her own, didn't see the streaming of fire coming until last minute and was forced to twist her body away to dodge the attack.

'_Perfect_.' Hinata thought.

Hinata unleashed a burst of speed and hit the rest of Anko's chakra points, rendering her incapable of moving or using chakra.

"Damn it! Fuck you!" Anko growled from the floor.

Hinata just saluted Anko, which infuriated her all the more and dashed off to help Naruto.

While Hinata took down Anko, Hikari and Itachi were having their own confrontation, staring each other down. Itachi's Sharingan began to spin wildly, attempting to pull her into a genjutsu.

Hikari smirked under her mask, he would soon find out that that wouldn't work on her. In her own eyes, something spun wildly, countering Itachi's Sharingan. "Uchiha Itachi, you will learn that the Sharingan isn't the most powerful doujutsu out there."

Itachi narrowed his eyes, feeling his genjutsu being repelled. Hikari smirked and unleashed her own genjutsu on Itachi. "Gentle Rain: Yasashii Ame"

Itachi suddenly found himself looking at a current of pouring rain, the rain filling his ears, his nose, and drenching him until his skin was numb. Itachi tried releasing the genjutsu, but found that he couldn't. Panic began to creep up his spine and he forced it back down and let his analytical mind take over. He hadn't felt this helpless since the beginning of his ninja training and even then he knew exactly what was happening. Suddenly, Tenshi appeared before him, "Itachi…"

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "What kind of genjutsu is this?"

Tenshi chuckled, "The Sharingan is not immune to all genjutsu, all you need is a genjutsu more powerful than the Sharingan that the user has and it works."

The rain stopped and the clearing came back into sharp focus, turning around, he saw Anko cursing like there was no tomorrow and two masked kids sitting on Kakashi, who looked at paralyzed as Anko. Itachi only got one look before the ground came rushing to him and he found himself trapped in the earth.

Hikari smirked, '_That should teach him from relying on his Sharingan to do all the work_.'

Hinata and Naruto breathed in gasps and were thoroughly exhausted.

'_I shouldn't have pushed them so hard._' Hikari thought, feeling the fatigue of using a high-level genjutsu. Hinata and Naruto may have had special abilities, but with those abilities sealed, they were almost like normal humans in terms of chakra. Naruto always had a large amount of chakra to begin with and Hinata could use hers so finely that not a drop was wasted, but battling against much more experienced shinobi was taking its toll. The only reason why Hinata had been able to seal most of Anko's chakra points was because she wasn't prepared and her guard wasn't up. If it was, they might be the defeated ones.

All of a sudden, laughter was heard across the clearing and they all turned to see the Hokage, holding his pipe and trying to stifle his laughter. Walking over, he said, clapping, "Well done, as promised I will grant you a chance to partake in the exam required to become Anbu, but don't get your hopes up. Just participating in the exam does not mean you will become Anbu."

Two weeks later, in the office of the Hokage, three Anbu stood at attention.

"You have passed and have been selected as part of the Anbu Black Ops." The Hokage spoke seriously. "Do you understand your duty to me and to this village?"

"Yes," They said in unison. "We understand."

Suddenly the dragon masked person spoke up, "Hey, old man, we answer to you, right?"

The Hokage nodded, unsure of what Naruto was getting at.

"So do we have to protect the village?" Naruto asked.

The dove-masked person standing to the right of Naruto spoke, "Naruto, protecting the village comes with the Anbu package."

"I was just joking! Of course, I'll protect the village." Naruto said, grinning.

Hikari stayed silent. The Hokage surveyed her silently, gazing at the relaxed, but powerful posture. "I have decided."

Naruto and Hinata looked up. "Decided what?"

"Who the squad leader is going to be." Sarutobi replied.

"Oh! It's me! It's gonna be me!" Naruto jumped up and down excitedly.

Hokage sighed, "No, it's not you. It's Sendotenshi."

Naruto's shoulders slumped. Hikari let out a small laugh, and said, "Naruto, don't worry. I'm sure when you're older; you'll be able to lead a squad."

The Hokage smiled at the three, '_Well, all I know for sure is that, this is going to be a hard record to beat._'

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**A/N: I feel accomplished! Seventeen pages long! I hope you know that the only reason why I wrote so much is because inspiration hit and I couldn't stop writing. Just don't expect every chapter to be this long.**

**Fluffy ^_^**


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